Wagon-rack.



E. H. STUDEBAKER.

WAGON BACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.12, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SlBETS-SHBET 1.

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E. H. STUDEBAKER. WAGON RACK.

APPLIGATION HLBD 116.12. 1913. y 1 ,108,942. Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WI@ C a'raLlTHo., WASHINGTON. D. c.

E. H. STUDEBAKER.

WAGON RACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1913.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEETS.

un mw THE AORRIS PETERS C0.. PHON-LITRO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNTED STATES PATENT ornioii.

ENocH Ii. STUDEBAKER, orwAvnRLY, VIRGINIA, AssIeNo-n or ONE-HALF l'roJoHN L. BInDsoNG, or KENBRIDGE, VIRGINIA. f

WAGON-eem To aZZ ftviiom it may concern", f Be it known that-I, ENooHvH. STUDE- BAK'ER, citizen ofv the United lStates, resid'- ing at W'averly, in the county ofSussexfand State of Virginia, have Invented certain new 5 and useiul Improvements in lagon-Rackav of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wagon racksand i `has as its object toprovide a rackwhichmay vbe readily applied lto `and removed from jwagon bodies of different-sizes and which vmay be readily converted Into -a hay rack or l Another aim of theinvention is-to provide f an auxiliary supporting'niember for use in connection witlithe bracket, which member j may be employed either for the purpose of adding to thelength ofthe'supporting portion of the bracket and thereby adapting the rack toV contain a larger load of hayv or the like, or which may be reversed together with thebracket so as to extend over the interior of the wagon` box and thereby adapt the rack for use asa inclosure. f

VAnother feature ofthe invention resides in the novel manner in lwhichconnection is provided between the rack proper and the auxiliary supporting member, the object-being to reiiderthis connection practically as substantial as if the rack' and extension were formed in` one piece.` I

The'invention also has as its object to vprfovide a novel means forbracing the racks mounted uponl opposite sidewalls of the wagon box-"so as tol eifectually provide against spreading of the box or sagging of the racks at their middles, 'this connection being soconstructed that it may be adjusted to adapt the rack for-application to `wagon boxes of variouswidths without the neces# f v sity,'vhowever, of employing-'tools of any character nient. t y

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure `1 is afperspective view ofl a rack embodying p in securing the y desired adjust-l the present invention mounted upon a Y Specification of Letters Ifatent. Application filed August 12, 19113T4 application to and y by the'numeral 1 and its'side boards are in 'dicated -at 2. Each of the rack `brackets is substantially triangular in form and constock Arack or Patented sept. 1,` 1914. 'Serial No. 734,461. j ,i

wagon box, the auxiliary supporting inembers 'being d etachedand the rack beingarranged to serve asv a hay rack. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the racks 'and' the kwagon box, the racks being varranged as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. Figg isaview similarj to Fig.v 2 but illus'- trating the'racks arrangedto serve as afstock rack or in'closure. Fig. 4 is isarsimila'r view of oneofi supporting members detached.v Fig. 6" i's'a similar viewto Fig. 2, illustrating the auxiliary supporting member' applied to the bracket. v Fig. 7 `is arperspective view of the connecting member for bracing the racks'. In-thedrawings thewagonbox upon whichthera'cks 4embodying the present inj a perspective x View of one 'of the rack brackets; "Figl 5,y the auxiliary j vention are fijnounted is indicated in general v 1,!

sists' of' a standard portion 3, a supporting portion 4, anda bracing portion 5. The bracket is additionallybraced by-means of a bracingporti on 6 which extends between the portion l5' and the angle f between the intersection of the'portions 3 and 4. Preferably each vof the portions, `4 and 5 is provided l upon its outwardly presentedfside with ay ange which further serves to reinforce these portions and consequently the bracket as a" whole,- it being observed that `the bodyl portions of theparts and 4 project at their lateral edges beyond the sides of the flangesy i 7 and such` projecting portions of the supporting portions 4 atftheir outer ends thereof are indicated specifically by the -numeral 8 and servewav purpose to be'pre'sently explained. `The standard portion 3 Vof each bracket at its upper end, or, in other words, at the angle' of intersect-ion of this portion with the supporting portion 4, is formed with a -boss 9 having a downwardly projecting lip l0 rpreferably reinforced by `a flange ll formed upon its outer face. The lip 10 has its inner face lying parallel to the opposing `face of the standard portion 3 and overk the upper. edge ofl one of the side boards'ofa wagon box,'the said edge poition of the' side board being received between i at its lower endisbeveled as at 12 so that i the llip may y,be readily'tted or engaged 105k j the lip and the opposing face of the standerably, although not necessarily, the entire height of the board.

For a purpose `to be presently pointedout the lateral edges of the supporting portion fl: of each bracket are formed each with an ear 13 occupying the same plane as the body portion of the said supporting member andv these ears are apertured asfat 14 for thef passage of bolts or other suitable securing devices 15 which servev to hold the boards 1610i the rack upon the supporting portions. l ln the present instance three brackets are employed in tlie ofl the brackets of the rack.

construction of each rack and two boards are used, but itvwillibe understood that al greaterU or less number of brackets and a greater or less number of boards 16A maybe made use of if desired. In order that the strain upon the `brackets may be equalized, one ofthe ears 1,3 of eachk supporting portion is located near the inner end of the said portion at one edge thereof andthe other ear` is located near the Outer @HC1 0f 'the PO" y tion and at the other edge thereof. 1t will now be seen that each of the racks consists of anumber of the brackets secured to and supporting one or more boards 16jand it` will be apparent that when the` racks areto beL applied to or removed froinfthe `side boards of a Wagon box the lips 10 of all of` the brackets comprising the rack are .engaged over or disengaged from the upper edge of the sideboard.

As before stated, connection with each of the brackets proper, an auxiliary supporting member and this member is clearly illustrated inFig. -5 of the drawing. The member may be said to consist ofv two relatively angularly extending portions, one of which, indicated yby the numeral 17, constituting the body portionI of the member and the other, indicated in general by the numeral 18, being of a form which will be presently fully described. The portion 17 corresponds in general cross sectional shape to the body portion of the supporting part f1 of the bracket and includes a flange 19y which corresponds to the flange 7 of the supporting member 4'. This fia-nge 19 at one end of the body portion 17 is cut away so as to form a lip` 2O which occupies the same plane as the body portion proper and the,I flange 19 below the lip is increased in thickness as at 21 and bifurcated to `form spaced ngers 22 extending beneath the lateral edges of the lip 20 and having their upper edges at their` endslbeveled as at 23 for a purpose to` be presently explained. The portion 18 of the'auxiliary supporting member consists of a lip 24 corresponding to the lip 2O except that, as bethere is employed vin fore stated, the portion 18 extends at an angle to the portion 17. The flange 19 at this end of the member is increased in thickness as at 25 and bifurcated 4to* formfingers 26 corresponding-to the fingers 22 and extendingl in spaced relation to the lip 24 in A4the same manner as do the fingers 22.

One of the auxiliary supporting members is provided 'in connection with each of the brackets shown in Fig.I t of the drawings, and Ythese auxiliary members are connected by one or more boards, 27 secured in any suitable mannerL as for example, by bolts 28, to the upper. sides of the portions 17 of the saidl members.

By referenceto Figs. Sand @of the drawings it will be observed thateither end of thel auxiliary supporting member shown in Fig. 5 may be yapplied to the end of the respective'bracket and that when so ,applied the lip 2O ork 24. asthe case maybe, will. r

overlap the end of the portion` 8 of the bracket and the fingers 22 or 26will straddle the 61,1@ Of the flange 7 of the portionl of the bracket and engage at their upper edges beneath thevprojecting edge portionsl 8. It is to be noted. that the portion 17 yof, thek auxiliary supporting member.` isA 0i? @Onsiderably greater length than the portion 18 thereor1 so thatwhen that end of the member at which the lip 20 andthe fingers 22 areh'located, is applied t0y the, end ofthe Supporting; P01'- tion of the bracket, the capacity of, the rack when it is to vcontain hay or` the like, is materially increased; due to the additional brackets comprising. the, rack.

As shown in Fig. 3v of the `c lrawings, the structure may be readily converted into a stock yrack or inclosure by reversing the` positions ofthe two racksI or, in otherv words, so applyingthem to, thel side boards of the wagon box that they will project or extend inwardly instead of outwardly, the portions 1S of the auxiliary supporting meinbersbein this case fitted to the ends of the supporting portions of the brackets so` that the portions 17 of the said members will extend over the interioiyof the lwagon box with their ends at which the lips 20 and lingers 22 are `located in proximity to each other.

Themeans heretofore mentioned for the n purposek of kbracing the racks and preventing bulging ot the side boards of thewagon `box consists essentially of two bars, one indicatedfby the` numeral 29 and; theother by slot 35 and the bar 29y at a point approxi-` engage over the bar 30 when the bars are in` superposed relation.

In order that the bars maybe applied to the brackets comprising -the racks, the boss 9 of each bracket is formed with a stud 37 the head of which extends transversely of the boss and is of a size to be engaged through the slots 35, it being understood that the bars are initially positioned with the slots in alinement with the heads 37 and that the bars are then swung around upon the studs as pivots until they overlap and the bar 30 is engaged between the lug 36 and the bar 29. The bars having then been relatively moved so that thel length of theJ connection will be equal or substantially equal to the width of the wagon box, the stud carrying ends of the bars are sprung r,and the studs 3l and 33 are engaged in the proper ones of the series of openings. 34 and 32 respectively.'

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seenthat I have provided a wagon rack which ymay be readily and quickly applied to `any standard wagon box and which may be converted, without the use of tools of any character, into a hay rack or stock rack or inclosu're7 and it will further be seen that theconnection provided between the racks, while not absolutely essential under all conditions, is when employed, substantial and capable of effectually preventing lateral displacement of the racks or bulging of the side boards of the wagon box.

A decided advantage accruing from the formation of the brackets in two sections is that by detaching the sections shown in Fig. 5, the upper ends of the main brackets rwill not project beyond the hubs of the wagon wheels and consequently the wagon may be conveniently driven through restricted spaces as long as the passageway is sufciently wide to permit of clearance of the hubs.

tively angularly disposed portions adapted to be interchangeably removably fitted to the supporting portion of the bracket. f

2. In a wagon rack bracketya standard portion, a supporting portion, and an4 i auxiliary supporting member having rela# tively angularly disposed portions adapted to be interchangeably removably tted to the supportingv portion of the bracket, one of the angularly disposed portions of the supporting member being of greater length than the other portion thereof whereby whentted to the supporting portion of the bracket to constitute an extension of the saidv portion.

3. In a wagon rack bracket, a standard member, a supporting member including a transversely extending portion and a flange extending at an angle to the plane thereof, and an auxiliary supporting member having a lip and spaced lingers extending beneath.

the lip, the lip overlapping the transversely extending portion of the supporting member and the lingers straddling the iiange and engaging at their edges against thatface of the transversely extending portion i'roni which the flange projects.

4. In a wagon rack bracket, a standard member, a supporting member having a transversely extending body portion and an angularly extending flange, and an auxiliary supporting member having relativelyv angularly positioned portions each provided at its end with a lip engageable over the transversely extending body portion of the supporting member and spaced lingers engageable against the sides of the flange and at their edges against the said transversely extending portion.

5. In a wagon rack bracket, a standard portion, a supporting portion, and an .auxiliary supporting member vhaving relatively angularly positioned portions, each provided at its end with spaced members arranged to fit the end ofthe supporting portion of the bracket, the engagement vof the ends of the auxiliary supporting member with the supporting portion of the bracket beingl interchangeable. p

In testimony 'whereof I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ENooH n. STUDEBAKER. [n sa Copies of this patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, 11.0. 

